Friends and neighbors,
The 2026 legislative session is over, and now that the dust is settling I want to take a minute to take stock of what happened, what did not get finished, and what the people of northern Minnesota should know as we head into summer.
Here is what transpired on a few key issues:
Second Amendment: On gun rights, Democrats came into this session with an aggressive agenda. Their centerpiece gun bill was one of the most extreme pieces of legislation I have seen come to a vote in my short time in the Minnesota Senate. There were a number of provisions that would have captured normal, law-abiding gun owners into criminality. Some examples:
- The bill defined "assemble" as simply fitting together component parts, meaning that under this law, a hobbyist putting together a legal firearm kit in their garage could potentially be criminalized.
- It stripped the existing sporting purposes exemption that has long protected hunters and competitive shooters.
- It banned semiautomatic pistols with a grip that protrudes below the action and can be held by the non-trigger hand, a feature found on countless everyday handguns that Minnesotans use for home defense. I asked about this specific concern repeatedly during the floor debate, and Democrats refused to give me a direct answer.
- Finally, it prohibited any person without a federal firearms license from assembling more than three firearms in a calendar year. What does “assembling” mean? I asked about this as well, and Democrats acknowledged it’s not clear.
This was a massive, sweeping attempt to restrict the rights of law-abiding Minnesotans. Every single Democrat voted yes. Every single Republican voted no. Democrats tried to pass their agenda on the floor, ran a pressure campaign through the media, and House Democrats even staged a sit-in in the final weekend of session. None of it worked. We defeated every one of those proposals, and Republicans in the House deserve a huge amount of credit for holding the line, sticking together, and making sure this extreme bill never became law. I will continue to stand firmly against any effort to erode your constitutional rights.
Minerals revenue distribution: On the final night of session, the Legislature passed a tax bill that included something called the Minerals Article. The Minerals Article is a boring name, but it simply clarifies how mining revenue is distributed to school districts and communities in Northern Minnesota. This is how mining creates and protects good-paying jobs, supports local families, strengthens supply chains, and ensures Minnesota remains competitive in producing the critical minerals our nation depends on.
Northern Minnesota has long powered our state and our country. This legislation recognizes the importance of our mining industry and the communities built around it.
I was proud to support legislation that invests in the Iron Range, supports responsible resource development, and helps secure economic opportunity for future generations across Minnesota.
Nuclear energy: On the final day of the 2026 legislative session, we passed legislation directing a comprehensive study of nuclear energy's potential role in Minnesota’s energy future. This study will help us understand the potential impact of new nuclear generation in Minnesota, including effects on affordability, reliability, environmental protection, and public health. This is an important step forward, but the ultimate goal remains eliminating Minnesota's longstanding moratorium on new nuclear energy development.
Finally, a temporary newsletter pause: In election years, Senate policy prohibits us from sending out official “mass mailings of newsletters, questionnaires, legislative reports, or letters of congratulations” more than 60 days after adjournment sine die. Therefore, my office will not electronic newsletters between July 17 and November 3. However, constituents should still feel free to contact my office with issues or concerns during that period.
As always, if you have questions about any issue I didn’t cover here, or ideas for the future, please reach out any time. It is my privilege to serve you in the Senate!